Brought to life by the Coro San Benildo, Benilde’s resident choral group, Tanghal 3.0: COROmantiko Al Intra featured an anthology of different love stories each accompanied by carefully curated songs sung by members of the organization on Feb. 15 at The Blackbox located on the 6th floor of Benilde’s Design+Arts Campus. It was directed by ID122 student Joan Mae Garcia who also performed as a recitalist for the musical.
Love is…
It showcased four groups, each embodying a distinct idea of love. The love stories of each group were intricately woven into the songs performed by the recitalists. In addition to the musical performances, the narrative of the musical was propelled forward by a narrator who introduced the characters and the concept of love they represented before their onstage performance.
The recitalists for this performance consisted of seniors of Coro San Benildo, including ID120 students Bianca Andal and Ariola, ID121 student Joao Sunga, and ID122 students Gabriel Saw, Julianne Mauri, Alyssa Crisostomo, Katrina Maestro, Dylan Hebron, and Audrey Darilag.
It opened with Sunga and Darilag portraying the complexities of love, illustrating how it can sometimes lead to rejection. Their performance depicted two best friends whose relationship blurs the lines of friendship and romance. They began with a heartfelt duet of “All I Ask Of You” from “The Phantom of the Opera,” capturing the emotional depth of their bond. Sunga then took the stage solo, delivering a poignant rendition of “Nahan'' by Ernani Cuenco, beautifully conveying the bittersweet aspects of love.
The rest of the groups followed in this fashion, with their story being introduced to the audience followed by a musical performance that fleshed out the rest of their stories.
Getting In the mood for love
However, the musical performance wasn’t the sole attention-grabbing element of the musical. The backdrop and props, skillfully crafted by the Stage Productions Operations Team (SPOT), another student organization under BCAU, played a crucial role in providing the perfect setting for the recital. Featuring a bench, street lanterns, and a fake wall arranged against a table and two chairs, the stage effectively complemented the storyline, enhancing the overall narrative experience for the audience.
As the musical drew to a close, the rest of Coro San Benildo, including the newly inducted members of the organization, delivered a stirring rendition of “Fini La Comédie” and “Tagumpay Nating Lahat.” Under the direction of Sir Ian Aguila, a former UP Madrigal Singer, the choir’s performance served as the perfect finale to the production, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. The instrumentals for the choir performance were performed by ID122 Music Production student Kyle Andrin.
Following this captivating performance, the recital formally concluded with the introduction of the main cast and crew, accompanied by credits acknowledging those who played vital roles in bringing the production to life.
Coro San Benildo’s recital is just one of the many captivating performances hosted by BCAU. As part of their month-long celebration of Lasallian Arts Month and their launch of #YAZ2024, it aims to celebrate and support young individuals dedicated to the arts while inspiring others to pursue their passions.
Additionally, BCAU recently premiered “Liwanag Sa Dilim,” a short film that aims to commemorate the People Power Revolution on their Facebook page.
BCAU’s celebration of this year’s Lasallian Arts Month will run until March. You can learn more about what the BCAU has in store by visiting their Facebook page here.
